It's a move up for Allenson, who spent last season managing the Blue Jays' Double-A affiliate in Manchester, N.H.

The 58-year-old is in his second season with Toronto and has 19 seasons of experience managing at the minor league level. He also has six years of coaching experience at the major league level, split between the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.

Allenson is a former catcher, who spent most of his six-year major league career with Boston, before closing with Toronto.

In Buffalo, he replaces Marty Brown, who decided not to return with the team in December.